The subject matter herein relates generally to retention features for a cable assembly of a pluggable connector.
Cable assemblies may be used to transfer data to and from different communication systems or devices. Known cable assemblies include serial attached (SA) small computer system interface (SCSI) cable assemblies, which may also be referred to as SAS cable assemblies. Such cable assemblies may include a pluggable connector having a mating or plug end and a cable end. The mating end is inserted into a receptacle assembly of the communication system, and the cable end receives a cable of the cable assembly. In some cases, the pluggable connector includes a circuit board that has electrical contacts, such as contact pads, that are exposed at the mating end. The circuit board may be mechanically and electrically coupled to conductors or wires of the cable. Portions of the cables, wires and circuit board may be encased in a cable support body, which may be insert molded over the cables, wires and circuit board after the wires are terminated to the electrical contacts of the circuit board.
Conventional pluggable connectors are not without disadvantages. For instance, the cable support body is used to retain the circuit board and cables in the plug body of the pluggable connector. The material used for manufacturing the cable support body is typically a low temperature, high viscosity overmold material. Such material is well suited for low pressure molding, which is desirable when overmolding the wires and the solder joints to the electrical contacts so that the joints are not damaged. Also, such low pressure molding of the material is desirable to reduce migration of the material into unwanted areas of the pluggable connector. However, such material typically has poor mechanical properties and retention features of the cable support body tend to shear off when cable strain or cable pull is too high. When the retention features fail, the cable and circuit board may be pulled out of the plug body, leading to connector failure. After failure, the entire cable subassembly must be discarded. Accordingly, there is a need for a pluggable connector having a reliable mechanical retention feature.